Day 4: Love does not boast!

                                                          Day 4: Love does not boast     

           

We all know what it means to boast or at the very least we have been witness to shameless over the top boasting.

In a Facebook, Twitter, social media world it is so easy to get caught up in the boasting game. In one form or another all of our tweets and status updates boast about something. 

Boasting all together isn't a terrible or bad thing, but the things we boast about can be. 

2 Corinthians 10:13 says, "We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you." 

You see Paul understood when and where boasting was to take place. He understood that sharing the victory of the day was proper with those he worked the field with but in someone else's territory it was foolish. He wanted everything he did to be counted as victory to the Lord. 

I recently have been told that I am quick to point out all of the great things that God is doing in my life and not so quick to share my pain, fears, failures and missteps. 

When I heard this I thought...'of course! Who wants to be around a Debbie downer all day?" 

But I missed the point 

2 Corinthians 11:30 spoke volumes to me. "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." 

Paul was quick to boast of his weakness and spoke little of the power he had. He didn't speak of all of the victories he shared in or all of the conquests he undertook. He boasted in his weakness so that God could have the victory.  

I have always prided myself on not living in the past and walking in the promises God has for my future. 

          Did you catch the key word in that sentence?          

                                                                                  That's right you heard it... pride!

Boasting in all that God has done in and through me when released at improper times, comes out as nothing more than pride. 

My dear friend shared with me that while I write well, I don't use examples from my own life to personalize the God I wish others would see. I am quick to point out (boast) the victories in my marriage and slow to reveal the pain and hurt that has driven me at times to feel desperate and alone. 

I am quick to share (boast) about how proud I am of my husband for making it through medical school. Yet I am slow to share that through that process we lost our home, were racked up thousands of dollars in debt, we had days-weeks that we didn't know how we would survive. 

I desire others to want relationship with God but don't show them what He has brought me through. 

Why?

Out of fear, out of pride or simply because I am afraid that people will see the past and not see who I am today. 

I somehow have fooled myself into thinking that people already know my story, therefore I shouldn't have to share with others my history with God. 

There is a time and place for everything. It is in the way we share our victories. 

When my daughter Ellie was hit by a truck... I constantly heard "you are so strong!" The thing I didn't share with people was that inside I felt like my world was caving in. After three days of her in the ICU my husband told me I had to go home. He said I needed to sleep in my own bed and take a shower. I was terrified to leave her side. I was so scared that if I walked out of that room for more than a few minutes that somehow everything would fall apart. 

I remember taking hours to muster up enough courage to finally walk to the elevator and get into my car. I was terrified that I may never see her again if I left. My drive home was horrible. I called a friend and sobbed. I cried and cried but when the time came for people to see me again, I put on my big girl pants and sucked it up. I didn't want people to know that I was scared to death. I was so scared that Ellie would die but trusted God if He chose to take her. 

                        Jesus was the calm in my storm but all people saw was the calm. 

The boasting part came in because I never showed others my fears. I just spoke of the trust I had in God to see us through whether we lost her or not. 

                          

                       People never saw the pain because I only boasted of my courage. 

Not everyone wants to hear what God has done in your life....again and again and again! 

They need to see the person that is no different then them so that they can see the God that is far bigger then who they can ever be. 

Boasting draws the eye and heart to self and only in the shadows is God ever seen.  

We all want to share our excitement and joy.  We need to be cautious because not everyone will be as excited for you. It can leave you feeling deflated and empty.  

Boasting is the brother of envy. Envy is a response to our boasting. 

Joseph found this out first hand in Genesis 37. He was so eager to share his vision and dream with his dad and brothers that he only further alienated himself from those he loved most. In Joseph's immaturity of his spiritual gifts he boasted. Out of his boasting his brothers sought to destroy him and plotted his murder. Now we know through this story that Joseph rose to be second in command in Egypt.

God used his immaturity and boastful heart but Joseph endured pain and suffering for his actions. 

Nobody walks through life free of trials and unscathed from the journey. It is out of those trials that Jesus is made known to the world. 

Share your weakness along with your blessing. Couple your joy with your pain, so that the strength of God is revealed.

As you read this please don't hear me saying that you should be a ho-hummer. We all know of people that live constantly in their misery and rarely speak about joy they are experiencing. Living a life to honor God provides us with ample opportunities to praise Him, just do it with complete humility and out of love for others. 

Begin to share your victories on a level that is more proportionate to who you are and your weaknesses on a level that is proportionate to who God is. 

May everything you do and say boast of the mercy and grace God has personally shown to you. 

Challenge: Look back through your Facebook, Twitter posts. Do your posts show a boastful heart. Do they reflect what 'you' have done or what 'you' have obtained? 

Begin to couple your victories with your short comings. Allow others to see your scars so that they can also see the healing that has taken place. 

Loving intentionally requires us to be intentional in our thoughts and actions. 

Are we thinking of others when we post, tweet and share our life? 

Everything in moderation :)  

Again, I ask you to let this song go deep into your bones. Let it be your battle cry as you walk out your story. 

http://youtu.be/pr9YVD05x8M